Good in Bed

Moon Over Bourbon Street

Victor smiles as he pushes the rickety door to Brasstown open, shivering but pleased as the coolness of the air conditioning washes over him.

The cafe is quiet, with only a handful of people inhabiting the mismatched tables in the corner, the late-afternoon sunlight creating an unusually eerie glow in the dimness, the tinted windows making its ambience more like a cellar than a cafe.

As Victor approaches the counter, drumming his fingers on the wooden surface, he leans over, peering into the short corridor behind the till and squinting. Through the little slit in the door, there's movement for a few moments, before the door peels back to reveal Benji, who jumps when he makes eye contact and waves.

"Oh, hey, babe. You're right on time, my shift is just finishing," Benji says, hanging his apron on the hook on the wall before he reaches across the counter and grabs Victor by the chin, bringing their lips together into a soft kiss. He pauses, tilting Victor's face to both sides. "Wait... are you wearing eyeliner?"

"I'm trying something new. Do you like it?"

"Yeah, honestly. It's... really sexy. Like that one guy from 'What We Do in the Shadows'."

"Taika Waititi?" Victor asks, face twisting as he pulls away. "Isn't he like... old?"

Benji shrugs, stroking his own chin. "He's not that old... More of a dilf, I guess... But anyway, what's up?"

"Well... I wanted to catch you before you left, because, drum roll please... I have a little surprise for you. Maybe more than a little one, though, now that I think about it..."

Benji raises an eyebrow as he slips out from behind the till. "What kind of surprise?"

"Let's just say... you know how you complained about how you wished you had more of a chance to travel?" Victor asks, opening the door and ushering Benji out into the sticky humidity.

"Um..." Benji says, stopping in his tracks right in front of the door. His eyebrows knit together and Victor doesn't know if it's from the sunlight shining in his eyes or something else. His tone drops. "Are you taking me on a trip?"

Victor's smile fades and he tips his head to the side. "You don't seem very happy about that."

"I mean... it's so sweet and you're so thoughtful, but... I don't know if I can just take days off on a whim like that. We're kinda short-staffed lately..."

"Oh..."

"I appreciate the thought, though," Benji says quickly, just as Victor turns his attention to the parking lot. "Wait... isn't that your car? Also... why is Lake waving at me?"

Taking a deep breath, holding it, then exhaling slowly, Victor gives Benji a tight-lipped smile. "So, the thing is... I may have let it slip to our friends that I wanted to take you on a trip to New Orleans... and they invited themselves over..."

"Okay... I mean, I don't mind, but I would have preferred if it was just the two of us."

"But!" Victor says, holding up his finger. A group of disgruntled onlookers weaves around them as they enter the cafe and Victor pulls them out of the way. "They also offered to help pay for this really nice Airbnb and this is the only time we'll all be free..."

Benji sighs, rubbing his forehead with his palm and shaking his head with a soft chuckle.

"What do you think? Sorry, I know it's really short notice and I should have at least asked what your schedule looked like..."

"It's okay." Benji takes Victor's hand in his own and squeezes it as he leads them to Victor's car. "Let's do it. I think it'll be fun."

Victor smiles again, holding up his fist before he smacks the hood of the car. He opens the door on the driver's side as he motions to the passenger side. "Your chariot awaits, then."